The Grade II* listed Grand Hotel in Birmingham has been restored to its former glory, following extensive renovation work by Arup, the leading architecture and engineering firm. Nearly two decades on from when it last closed its doors to customers, Arup’s award-winning work has transformed the city centre landmark. Originally
As the UK begins its exit from lockdown, the trade industry can look to slowly relax its Covid restrictions. Life-critical health and safety product provider, Reece Safety looked at how the pandemic has changed health and safety across the trade industry, and whether the stricter elements brought about by the pandemic are
Building specifiers and contractors must champion a healthy approach to M&E solutions when converting shops into flats according to REHAU, following claims from campaigners that this latest trend could lead to ‘low quality homes’. The move towards turning commercial premises into housing is already underway, with thinktanks like the Social
Are you out of ideas for your upcoming business meetings? Don’t worry; there is always something you can discuss with the rest of your team. Whether it’s securing your business, finding new sources of income, or increasing your customer base, there are many topics you can bring to the table.
Colliers calls on RICS to Regulate Ratings Industry and Introduce Register of Rating Surveyors to prevent “cowboy” surveyors take advantage of business rates distress. “A group of conmen” “exploiting small businesses to sign unfair contracts”. This is how Kevin Hollinrake MP, the Member for Thirsk and Malton described rogue rating
Hybrid cloud approach to accelerate digital transformation in the construction industry SpecifiedBy, the specification-led marketing and product data specialist, has been named as one of the global collaborators helping to develop OpenBuilt, a new platform designed to help securely connect fragmented construction industry supply chains. Built on Red Hat OpenShift
Last year, the Rural and Industrial Design and Building Association (RIDBA) launched the RIDBA Building Awards 2021, designed to recognise innovation and excellence amongst members in the industrial and agricultural buildings industry. After receiving a record number of award entries, RIDBA is delighted to announce the shortlisted projects. Now in
Countryside, the UK’s leading mixed-tenure developer, has signed an agreement with the Department of Education to deliver Ark Soane, a mixed-use development in Ealing, West London, comprising a new 1,200-pupil secondary school, Ark Soane Academy, and 116 high-quality homes. Following a public procurement process, Countryside has been selected by LocatED,
Following the continued demand for commercial property in and around Lincoln and a successful planning appeal win – Lincoln Enterprise Park has been granted planning permission for the extension of the site – bringing new jobs to the city. Following the completion of phase 6 in 2019, the newly approved
Ambitious plan will bring new homes and reimagine the Grade II-listed market building as a five-screen cinema, restaurants and bars Proposals to create a sustainable new neighbourhood and transform the Grade II-listed Former Covered Market in Woolwich, SE18, have been approved by the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Planning Board. The
The Grade II* listed Grand Hotel in Birmingham has been restored to its former glory, following extensive renovation work by Arup, the leading architecture and engineering firm. Nearly two decades on from when it last closed its doors to customers, Arup’s award-winning work has transformed the city centre landmark. Originally built in the 1870s and one of the best surviving examples of Victorian architecture in Birmingham, the Grand Hotel had fallen into a state of disrepair since ceasing trading in 2002. Listed in 2004, Arup was brought on board by Hortons’ Estate to explore cost-effective options to stabilise and restore its façade stonework, which was hidden behind years of inappropriate repairs. Solving hidden problems and preserving historic fabric A thick build-up of cement, paint, bitumen and resin, had trapped moisture within the stone behind and masked its decay. In places, the masonry was unstable and sometimes soft enough to tear by hand. Arup also uncovered issues with the original design, which included incorrect weathering details that were absorbing rainwater rather than pushing it away. The stone itself also appeared to be of poor quality, unsuitable for areas of heavy exposure. Stripping away the coatings and stabilising the damaged stonework would significantly eat into the finished surface of the façade, altering its carved details and creating a misshapen appearance. To mitigate this effect and reinstate the original grandeur of the façade, Arup developed a set of conservation principles to carve into the surviving stone, effectively re-setting the entire building envelope backwards. Recreating the finish and sourcing locally Point-cloud surveys of the façade were taken before and after the coatings were stripped, allowing the team to specify where and how each individual flat area should be finished. This information was translated into a set of small elevations for use by the masons on site, showing how far each block should be dressed back to contribute correctly to the overall arrangement. Decorative details were also re-carved in-situ, as far as possible, to recreate the entire ornate finish of the building, while in turn keeping the quantity of new stone to an absolute minimum. The project supported businesses and craftspeople from the region, sourcing both labour and materials locally. This included stonemasons from Midland Conservation Ltd, who carried out repairs using traditional tools and techniques, working by hand to conserve almost every piece of decorative as well as most of the plain ashlar stone. This work led to Historic England describing the scale and traditional nature of the stonemasonry repairs at the Grand Hotel as unique, at the time in 2015, for a non-ecclesiastical building. Arup’s structural engineers were subsequently involved in redesigning the internal structure. This included the construction of a new full height central circulation area and a steel structure for penthouse suites. Thomas Pearson, Associate at Arup, said: “In our conservation architecture practice, we place particular importance on the original materials of a listed building. In this case the decay was so widespread that repairing the Grand Hotel’s façade demanded technical innovation, design creativity and painstaking craftsmanship. “I am proud to have led Arup’s team, providing conservation architecture, stone consultancy and façade engineering services to save the building from demolition. It is hugely satisfying to see one of Birmingham’s most loved buildings open again as a landmark hotel for the city.”
As the UK begins its exit from lockdown, the trade industry can look to slowly relax its Covid restrictions. Life-critical health and safety product provider, Reece Safety looked at how the pandemic has changed health and safety across the trade industry, and whether the stricter elements brought about by the pandemic are here to stay. The trade sector stayed open throughout most of lockdown Many trade businesses and work sites were open across the second lockdown while the rest of the country stayed home, meaning many trades workers across construction sites, factories and manufacturing plants worked in additional PPE, with sanitising stations, and enforced social distancing measures in place to meet demand as essential workers. In addition to existing health and safety procedures, Covid-19 saw new regulations brought in to protect industry workers. Construction was most significantly affected Research found that the construction sector has been significantly affected by Covid‐19, as there has been a potential knowledge gap regarding the practical feasibility of applying Covid‐19 measures within construction, made more difficult by factors such as the types of projects and complex working environments. In the UK, the construction industry is worth over £100bn and employs over 2.4 million people, with the immense sector adjusting to new ways of working. Throughout the pandemic, it has been hit hard by both stricter safety precautions and higher rates of infection due to an ageing workforce, with over 40% of workers over 40 years old, and a significant number of over 55-years-old1. This means that the construction sector had a slower rate of productivity and profitability throughout the pandemic due to illness. Self-employed tradespeople were also affected Covid not only affected the workforce for larger businesses but has also had a direct impact on self-employed tradespeople. Gareth, a joiner from Sheffield, explained how new health and safety measures have affected his business: “Covid health and safety measures have made working more complicated, with more measures to consider for each job. However, it is important for everyone to remain cautious and stick to the implemented safety measures as I spend much of my time in people’s homes, so it is vital to ensure correct PPE is worn, the household is Covid-free, and I am safe from risk of transmission while working. Post-Covid, I am sure that much of the public will remain cautious for a long time, ensuring that the spread continues to slow, which means tradespeople like myself can continue to feel safer.” Many businesses struggled to maintain staff training As rigorous health and safety procedures came into action for the trade sector to enable workers to continue working, many important parts of the job, such as upskilling and training staff, took a back seat. Managing Director of Reece Safety, Andy Graham, explains why he thinks some elements of health and safety introduced throughout the pandemic are likely here to stay: “We noticed that many businesses struggled throughout the pandemic to upkeep training for new staff and deliver refresher training to existing staff as trade sector businesses shifted their focus to ensuring staff safety and welfare. “To accommodate, we introduced “live stream” virtual training sessions and socially distanced learning environments to ensure that businesses can keep up with necessary health and safety training for their staff, with offerings such as confined space supervisory training and lockout tagout training. As things go back to normal, we are sure that flexible ways of training will allow businesses to train their staff in a much easier way.” For more information on life-critical safety products to keep your business and staff safe, visit: https://www.reecesafety.co.uk/ 1 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hfm.20882
Building specifiers and contractors must champion a healthy approach to M&E solutions when converting shops into flats according to REHAU, following claims from campaigners that this latest trend could lead to ‘low quality homes’. The move towards turning commercial premises into housing is already underway, with thinktanks like the Social Market Foundation suggesting that turning collapsed retail businesses into residential space could create 800,000 new homes. While new Permitted Development Rights ensure space standards will be upheld and extremely small ‘rabbit hutch’ flats avoided, polymer supplier REHAU is exposing further concern with regards to wellbeing being ‘value-engineered’ out of these buildings later on. The warning comes off the back of REHAU’s recent report ‘Designing Healthy Apartments,’ with 44% of architects and specifiers surveyed identifying this issue of later ‘value-engineering’ as a concern during the design process. Over 500 respondents took part in the independent research, with 125 specialising in multi-residential projects. Steve Richmond, Head of Marketing and Technical for REHAU Building Solutions comments: “The new Permitted Development Rights put forward by the housing secretary are a welcome move but it’s not just space utilisation that impacts an occupant’s wellbeing, it’s temperature control, water provision, acoustics, air quality and so on. The worry is that because retrofitting and repurposing existing space can be seen as a less expensive option, there could be pressure to cut corners on fundamental components that improve occupant wellbeing. These actions could also impair a building’s also lifespan, raising further concerns.” Overheating in summer, excess cold in winter, privacy and lack of daylight have also been highlighted as potential issues by Julia Park, the head of housing research at the architects Levitt Bernstein and one of the Mayor of London’s design advocates. Steve continues: “All the issues raised by Julia Park are synonymous with the findings in our latest research, and then some. While we fully support the drive to refurbish and repurpose the abundance of empty office and retail units across the country, there’s a plethora of considerations to take into account when repurposing a building. M&E solutions need to sit at the heart of this rather than being an afterthought.” Designing Healthy Apartments is the first in a series of reports to spotlight on the challenges and opportunities to improve the UK’s commercial buildings by sector. To download Designing Healthy Apartments, visit: https://www.rehau.com/uk-en/designing-healthy
Are you out of ideas for your upcoming business meetings? Don’t worry; there is always something you can discuss with the rest of your team. Whether it’s securing your business, finding new sources of income, or increasing your customer base, there are many topics you can bring to the table. By focusing on one topic at a time, you will give your employees a chance to speak up and comment on the current situation. More importantly, you will create an environment where every voice is heard and valued. Without further ado, here are some topics of conversations that you should use for your next couple of meetings: How to Reach the Company Goals Goals are set for a reason. They direct your company to where it needs to go in order to be successful. Whether you own a startup or a small business, goals should be created and followed no matter what. At the beginning of every quarter, discuss your goals with employees. For larger companies, it is recommended that you hold quarterly meetings to make sure everyone is on the same page. If you manage a company that has multiple branches or stations, you can hold a yearly meeting where the goal-setting process takes place. Remember to give your employees the possibility to ask questions and express their concerns, whether you talk about the benefits of a managed SIEM or hiring a new cleaning company. This way, you show them that you care about their opinions. Developing New Sources of Income If you want to reach all of your company goals, you need to find new sources of income. In the end, if there is no money to cover the costs, your business won’t be able to grow. Although most companies depend on regular customers, they don’t really care where those come from. But every customer is valuable since they help sustain your business. Instead of trying to replace those that are leaving, it would be better to find new customers. At a business meeting, discuss new ways of finding clients and keeping them loyal to the company. Improving Current Products Your company is only as good as your products are. If the products aren’t up to par, then your business won’t last long. If you want to remain competitive in the market, you need to improve your products or create new ones altogether. Improving current products can take more than one form. For example, if you have a line of clothing items, you can add a few new designs or make the materials stronger so they last longer. If you have a food brand, you can change the recipe to make the product tastier or add more nutritious ingredients to give it more value. Your employees can help you brainstorm and create new ideas for development. Determining Which Product Ideas Are Worth Pursuing You might have heard about several product ideas that were too good to be true – so much so that they never made it past the drawing board stage. Nowadays, there are so many products out there that it can be challenging to determine which ones should and shouldn’t be sold on the market. The solution? Holding meetings where you can decide which product ideas have real potential and which ones should be cast aside entirely. Have a brainstorming session or ask your employees or colleagues some questions about the products via Google forms. This can save you both time and money. Improving Productivity at Work One of the hardest things about managing a team is getting it motivated enough to work hard on a daily basis. However, improving productivity is not an easy task, as there can be many causes for your employees’ decreased enthusiasm. Too many or too few tasks, short-term objectives with no career vision, lack of flexibility, feeling undervalued – these are just a few. To learn how you can improve your workers’ productivity, ask them about that. Take an interest in what they do and do not like about the job, and figure out together how you can improve the overall experience. Getting Feedback from Employees If you want to make sure that your employees are happy, you need to ask them for feedback. This is important regardless of the type of company you manage – whether it’s a large corporation or a small business. The truth is that if employees feel like they can voice their opinions, they will be more willing to give their all to the company. More importantly, you should show your employees that their opinions matter to you. Even if you disagree with what they have to say, you should still listen to them as long as it’s constructive criticism. However, you don’t have to bear the complaints if they lack any confirmation. Conclusion Business meetings can seem senseless, especially if you don’t know what to discuss. In that case, not only will you lose precious time, but your employees will also lack respect for you. After all, both you and they could have done something productive, but instead, you have spent half an hour in one room trying not to fall asleep. However, there is always something to talk about when it comes to business meetings. Reaching company goals, getting feedback, improving productivity, brainstorming new product ideas – these are just a few things that you can discuss. To make the most of your time, choose one or two topics, invite your employees to a business meeting, and spend some quality time together.
Colliers calls on RICS to Regulate Ratings Industry and Introduce Register of Rating Surveyors to prevent “cowboy” surveyors take advantage of business rates distress. “A group of conmen” “exploiting small businesses to sign unfair contracts”. This is how Kevin Hollinrake MP, the Member for Thirsk and Malton described rogue rating surveyors in a Parliamentary debate today focusing on reports of a significant escalation in the number of cases of “cowboy” rating surveyors targeting struggling businesses looking to reduce bills during the pandemic. Mr Hollinrake named and shamed rogue agents who he claimed are “effectively conning” small businesses into signing long term contracts, which are not in their interests , for reliefs they would have receive anyway and then pursuing them through the courts for payments. The Westminster debate on the “Regulation of business rates reduction services” called for industry regulation to protect vulnerable businesses who are suffering financial distress, in part because of high business rates, from falling victim to such rogue rating surveyors. Mr Hollinrake has called for the Insolvency Service to step in, but so far this body has not agreed that it is their role to regulate. According to the rating team at Colliers, it should be the RICS, The Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors that urgently needs to step in and regulate the rating industry. According to Colliers, and borne out by the debate today, an increasing number of businesses, including Colliers clients, are being approached by rogue rating surveyors promising to obtain a marked reduction in their business rates bills. Some businesses, unaware they are entitled to reliefs are being targeted by the rogue agents to secure Small Business Reliefs or “Covid” reliefs despite the fact the businesses are in sectors that would have received them for free – by purely writing to the local authorities. The small business involved is then charged an annual fee of up to 52% of the “saving” for the length of the contract. In some cases, businesses have been tied in for 10 or 12 years. And it is not only the smaller businesses that have suffered from unscrupulous rating surveyors. According to Colliers numbers of such incidents has particularly grown during the lockdowns, when many office based businesses, who did not receive the business rates holidays seen in other sectors, struggled to pay their rates bills and therefore become more vulnerable to such a cowboy element. A particular spike was seen at the beginning of the year when businesses were led to believe that the government’s Valuation Office ( the VOA) had agreed to a 25% reduction on business rates for those mounting an MCC, or material change of circumstance, appeal and rogue surveyors made promises they could help obtain this relief. There is no such relief on offer. “Businesses are getting desperate, “says John Webber, Head of Business Rates at Colliers. “Some who are entitled to reliefs were not aware of them and have therefore been targeted by rogue rating surveyors. Others who are not receiving any support, but with no announcement by the Government of any forthcoming, have been clutching at straws. Rogue agents are able to take advantage of this distress. The current business rates system with its high multiplier and complex system of reliefs has created an unsustainable system, as has the widely criticised and calamitous system of Check Challenge Appeal introduced by the Government in 2017. Both have played into the hands of cowboys extracting money up front.” “We believe the situation will only get worse after the end of June, when the 100% rates holiday comes to an end for businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure industries and Government support lessens. Businesses must beware of false promises.” Webber continued, “We have long been campaigning for the rating industry to be properly regulated and we are supportive of Kevin Hollinrake MP raising this issue in Parliament. We believe there should be a register of appeals professionals, which should be regulated by the RICS, in the same way the FCA regulates financial advisors.” He continued, “The lack of such a register gives a cowboy element the opportunity to gain credibility and persuade vulnerable businesses that it can save them serious funds. In the current crisis this situation is getting more out of hand. We call the RICS to take robust measures to effectively show these cowboys for what they are. Instead of infighting and navel-gazing, the RICS should take some leadership on a problem which has existed for many years.”
Hybrid cloud approach to accelerate digital transformation in the construction industry SpecifiedBy, the specification-led marketing and product data specialist, has been named as one of the global collaborators helping to develop OpenBuilt, a new platform designed to help securely connect fragmented construction industry supply chains. Built on Red Hat OpenShift and running on IBM Cloud, OpenBuilt will offer new digital solutions to help innovate and drive more efficient, sustainable and safer construction projects. SpecifiedBy has been invited to integrate its industry-leading solution for finding and researching building products for specification into OpenBuilt during the development. This will enable OpenBuilt users to build additional functionality into their intelligent workflows. SpecifiedBy’s Founder and CEO, Darren Lester, said: “OpenBuilt has the potential to transform the building and construction industry by leveraging the huge benefits of technology within an ecosystem to advance digital transformation for everyone. “For us it’s always been about enabling the building and construction industry to adopt more sophisticated digital approaches to their product research and specification processes, and we do this by giving them the tools that they need to make this as simple and straightforward as possible. This exactly aligns with the ambition of OpenBuilt, so we’re delighted to be one of the first to be part of this unique cross-industry collaboration.” The construction industry has long been challenged with project delays, cost overages as well as wasted materials often caused by disconnected processes and poorly coordinated activities and resources. Companies across the built environment including architects, building material suppliers, manufacturers, construction and engineering firms are now looking to innovate and speed up the expansion of their digital strategy. By moving away from largely manual processes, the industry will be able to explore more effective ways of working. OpenBuilt is designed to allow companies across the global built environment and construction industry to securely connect their current technology platforms and digital solutions to partners, suppliers or subcontractors in their supply chain via a single integration hub. It aims to help improve communication and securely exchange data across the supply chain. Alongside IBM, Red Hat and CoBuilder as leaders, the OpenBuilt development is being steered by founding partners Cemex, EDIN Network, Backe, Sol Services and Element.
Last year, the Rural and Industrial Design and Building Association (RIDBA) launched the RIDBA Building Awards 2021, designed to recognise innovation and excellence amongst members in the industrial and agricultural buildings industry. After receiving a record number of award entries, RIDBA is delighted to announce the shortlisted projects. Now in their fifth year, the Awards demonstrate the diversity of skills of RIDBA members, from schools and offices to cattle buildings and grain stores. There are seven categories on show this year including: Education & Leisure, Industrial & Production, Farm Storage, Public Services, Livestock, Residential & Offices, and Retail & Distribution. There is also an additional category to recognise Training. The judging panel consisted of industry experts including: Martin Heywood (Head Judge and RIDBA Technical Consultant), Jamie Robertson (RIDBA Livestock Consultant), Joe Black (Chairman of the Advisory Committee for Roofsafety), Andrew Brown (Owner, Visit Our Farm), Niresh Somlie (Principal Technical Officer at BM Trada), Stuart Roberts (Deputy President of the NFU). The judges were very impressed by the high level of technical excellence demonstrated by RIDBA members delivering successful projects to their clients. Head Judge, Martin Heywood said: “I would first like to congratulate everyone who entered the RIDBA Building Awards this year. We received some excellent entries, demonstrating that members continue to exceed high standards of work in the industrial and agricultural buildings industry. Although a challenge, we are delighted with results of this year’s Awards and look forward to sharing them with you at the flagship event in September.” The winners will be announced at the Awards ceremony on Thursday 30 September 2021 at the Macdonald Hotel in Manchester. Bookings for the event are now open, and guests can secure their places by completing the booking form. RIDBA would like to take this opportunity to thanks its sponsors for supporting this event: Headline sponsor: AJN Steelstock Premium sponsors: Joseph Ash Galvanizing, Hadley Group, Kingspan, and Steadmans. Event sponsor: STRUMIS Media Partner: Farming Monthly RIDBA would also like to thank Joseph Ash Galvanizing as the Evening Drinks Reception sponsor. The shortlisted projects can be viewed here.
Countryside, the UK’s leading mixed-tenure developer, has signed an agreement with the Department of Education to deliver Ark Soane, a mixed-use development in Ealing, West London, comprising a new 1,200-pupil secondary school, Ark Soane Academy, and 116 high-quality homes. Following a public procurement process, Countryside has been selected by LocatED, an Arms-Length Body to the Department for Education, to deliver this multi-million-pound development. A large proportion of the new homes is being constructed for the Greater London joint venture between Sigma Capital Group plc, the build-to-rent specialist, and its partner, EQT Exeter, part of global investment firm, EQT, and will be for the private rental market. Once constructed, these 92 apartments will be let and managed by Sigma Capital Group plc, under the ‘Simple Life London’ rental brand. Of the remaining homes in the new development, 21 will be affordable, managed by Network Homes, and three will be for open market sale by Countryside. The new homes will be located close to The Woodlands Park as well as Acton High Street and will enjoy excellent transport links. A sustainable energy centre utilising a Ground Source Heat Pump is also being delivered as part of the development. Countryside has entered into a £52m design and build contract with Jerram Falkus Construction to deliver all construction works associated with the school and residential development. Full planning permission has been secured, and the new Ark Soane Academy is due to open by September 2022. Designed by Pollard Thomas Edwards Architects, the Ark Soane mixed-use development will see the secondary school occupying the first three floors of the 6 to 12-storey building, with 113 apartments located above this, in addition to three separate townhouses on the site. Ark Soane Academy will be connected to a new nearby sixth form college, and will use the surrounding grounds, which include a multi-use games area, sports hall and playgrounds. Daniel King, Managing Director, Partnerships West London & Thames Valley, Countryside, said: “We are excited to get started on this innovative project which will not only deliver a state-of-the-art new school, but also deliver much-needed new homes in Acton. Drawing on over 30 years of experience of working in partnership to deliver major regeneration schemes across the UK, we’re looking forward to bringing Ark Soane Academy to life with the Department for Education, Sigma Capital, EQT Exeter, Network Homes and Jerram Falkus Construction.” Steven Brewster, Acquisitions Director, Sigma Capital Group plc, said: “We’re delighted to be part of this fantastic new development. It will add 92 homes to our growing portfolio of build-to-rent homes in Greater London with our JV partner, EQT Exeter. We have been working in partnership with Countryside for over 10 years across other parts of the UK, delivering new homes and regenerating local areas. We’re really excited to be bringing the success we’ve experienced in the regions to the London market and look forward to bringing our formula of high-quality homes, matched by award-winning customer care, to renters in Acton.” David Gooch, Network Homes Executive Director for Development, said: “We’re really pleased to be supporting the delivery of much-needed affordable homes at this development which will see a fantastic educational facility provided at Ark Soane. Network will be delivering 12 properties for London Affordable Rent and nine for London Living Rent, an excellent scheme helping people to save for a deposit to buy their own home.” William Jerram, Joint Managing Director, Jerram Falkus Construction Ltd, added: “We are delighted to be working with Countryside and LocatED to deliver this exciting scheme. We thank our design team, led by Pollard Thomas Edwards, together with Max Fordham, Price and Myers, Montague Evans and Outerspace. To ensure its success, we have worked very closely to redesign the external envelope to comply with the latest ‘B’ regulations” and simultaneously progress the design and programme to deliver the School for the 2022 academic year. It involved a lot of commitment and work at risk, with the reward of starting works in February 2021.”
Following the continued demand for commercial property in and around Lincoln and a successful planning appeal win – Lincoln Enterprise Park has been granted planning permission for the extension of the site – bringing new jobs to the city. Following the completion of phase 6 in 2019, the newly approved phase 7 will bring 15 new mixed-use units to the park – located on the A46 near Thorpe on the Hill – offering in-demand expansion opportunities for current occupants and new commercial premises for other businesses. It is estimated that circa 50 jobs will be created following the extension of Lincoln Enterprise Park, which in due course could directly or indirectly grow to 200. Developer and site owner LEP Developments brought together a team of highly experienced industry professionals to successfully appeal the local authority’s initial decision to deny the planning approval. Managing director of LEP Developments, Nicholas Falkinder, said: “Lincoln Enterprise Park’s growth over the last 15 years has been driven by the demand from businesses wanting to either expand, or relocate to the area. “Naturally, we are pleased with the decision to enable us to progress with our plans – myself and the wider team have worked hard to ensure our proposals are in line with the local authority’s policy to support economic growth and productivity, protect employment and encourage new business start-ups. “We will be delivering a high-quality and sensitively designed development, which has carefully considered its context and setting – contributing towards driving the Lincolnshire economy forward.” Alongside LEP Developments, Lincoln-based Heronswood Architectural Design led the original application, planning consultancy GraceMachin Planning & Property led the appeal, and landscape architect practice, Influence, created the landscape plans and impact assessment of the extension. Partner of GraceMachin Planning & Property, Nick Grace, said: “This is the right decision to enable welcome economic growth in Lincoln – a vibrant city which continues to attract inward investment from businesses that want to operate here. “The National Planning Policy guidance published in 2019 gives significant weight to economic growth and productivity, and this should be driven forward in Lincoln, as it is in other areas, for the benefit of the local economy. “LEP Developments offer a premium product in a unique and highly accessible location and those firms that are already on the park and are thriving, will be able to expand their premises and operations.” Landscape architect Influence created the landscape design and planting plans for the site, which includes the addition of native trees, hedgerows and wildflowers. Sara Boland, managing director of Influence, said: “The current footprint of phase 7 which is grassland is low in ecological diversity and this is a good opportunity to improve on the biodiversity and habitats on the site. Our plans include significant ecological and biodiversity enhancements and the landscape provision goes above and beyond what is usually expected at a commercial site – which is fantastic. “As a practice we have supported LEP Developments since its first application for this extension and conducted a detailed landscape visual assessment. We maintained our position in the appeal that the plans had no landscape or visual impact, and we are pleased that the Planning Inspectorate was in agreement. “I wish Nicholas and the team all the best with the extension and look forward to seeing the business park continue to thrive.” Rather than speculative building, LEP Developments does not begin construction until the majority of the units have been let or sold, so there are rarely long-term vacancies. The new units, which range from 1,500 to 12,000 sq ft. are being marketed by Lambert Smith Hampton. Lincs-based law firm Roythornes worked with LEP Developments on the planning appeal.
Ambitious plan will bring new homes and reimagine the Grade II-listed market building as a five-screen cinema, restaurants and bars Proposals to create a sustainable new neighbourhood and transform the Grade II-listed Former Covered Market in Woolwich, SE18, have been approved by the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s Planning Board. The Planning Board showed overwhelming support for the plans, with five out of seven councillors voting in favour of St. Modwen and Notting Hill Genesis’ vision for the important town centre site A sustainable development, designed for the community Woolwich Exchange will deliver 801 high-quality homes, designed for flexible living, with space to live and work at home. 158 of the new homes will be offered as affordable tenures of which 56 will be family sized homes. The scheme will also provide new facilities for the community to use, including a nursery, children’s play areas and workspaces. The regeneration will feature new green, public spaces at the heart of the site, with extensive planting, benches and outside seating available for cafés, bars and restaurants – offering a new, outdoor environment in the middle of Woolwich town centre, as well as promoting urban biodiversity. A new green buffer will be created along Plumstead Road, forming a pleasant pedestrian route separated from vehicle traffic. The development will be one of the most sustainable in London, with innovative heating and cooling systems, which will see savings in CO2 emissions of over 50% compared to the requirements defined by building regulations. Preserving Woolwich’s heritage for future generations The approved plans for Woolwich Exchange retain the historic Former Covered Market on Plumstead Road, transforming the Grade II listed building into a new five-screen Picturehouse cinema, cafés, bars and restaurants. The reimagined space will allow visitors to experience the expansive Lamella roof structure, which was the main focus of the decision to list the building in 2018. Picturehouse, which has confirmed its commitment to the scheme, will open Woolwich’s first cinema in a generation following the closure of the Coronet in 1999. Creating new connections across Woolwich town centre Woolwich Exchange sits between the Royal Arsenal Riverside development, which includes the forthcoming Elizabeth Line’s Woolwich Station , and the Woolwich Arsenal DLR and National Rail stations. New, people-friendly pedestrian and cycle routes across the car-free development will create pleasant connections to different parts of the town centre. Engaging the community and local businesses Businesses currently based on the site have been engaged in detailed dialogue about the plans and their relocation over the past few years, and this will continue as the project team aims to begin construction in 2023. Extensive consultation with the Woolwich community helped shape the plans from the start and, as a result, there has been a high level of local support for the regeneration. The community requested historic elements of existing buildings were incorporated into the design, to help tie the new development’s identity to Woolwich’s heritage. In line with the Woolwich Conservation Area, several of the historic buildings on Woolwich New Road will be preserved and enhanced as part of the approved plans. Creating jobs and boosting the local economy The regeneration will generate over 600 temporary jobs during construction and nearly 200 permanent jobs in the retail, leisure and new employment spaces. The site represents a major investment and commitment in the future of Woolwich, with the development estimated to add £60 million per year to the local economy during construction, and £10 million a year once complete. Woolwich Exchange has been developed by a joint venture partnership between developer St. Modwen and housing association Notting Hill Genesis, which was appointed by the Royal Borough of Greenwich to deliver the scheme. This is great news for the future of Woolwich. Woolwich Exchange is an ambitious regeneration that will transform this part of the town centre, while also respecting the area’s rich heritage. Adding a new cinema within the historic covered market building is going to be a spectacular addition to the area. From the beginning, it has been critical that we bring the community with us as we evolved our plans and we would like to thank local residents who have shown our proposals such incredible support. Securing planning permission is a major step forward in making Woolwich Exchange a reality. There is still much hard work ahead of us and we will continue to closely engage with local residents and businesses.” Gary Morris, Development Director for St. Modwen Strategic Land & Regeneration The Council’s approval is fantastic news for Woolwich, its community and for London, offering something for everyone. Woolwich is growing and the transformative plans for Woolwich Exchange are part of its sensitive evolution which will bring a huge range of benefits to the area and help unite the town centre. The regeneration will deliver many new, well-designed affordable homes, as part of a sustainable development that is truly fit for the future.” John Hughes, Group Director of Development for Notting Hill Genesis